News from Seattle's Office of Economic Development

The Seattle City Council voted yesterday to renew the Metropolitan Improvement District (MID) in Downtown Seattle for another 10 years, expanding the MID’s service area from 225 to 285 square blocks with the addition of the Belltown neighborhood and several added blocks in Pioneer Square.

The MID provides a broad range of services to Downtown that go beyond those provided by City of Seattle, including – streetscape cleaning, public safety, human services outreach, hospitality, and other services. The MID’s work is designed to keep Downtown’s participating neighborhoods inviting, clean and safe. The new service areas will begin on July 1, 2013.

Jim Miller, president of the Belltown Business Association, said his neighborhood is excited to be part of the MID. “We require added services in order to address our crime, human service and cleaning needs beyond what the City could offer. Now, as part of the MID, we’ll get the help we need.”

Each day, the MID’s team of 62 uniformed Ambassadors can be seen providing services in the Denny Triangle, Pioneer Square, Retail Core, Waterfront and West Edge neighborhoods, and now Belltown. MID Ambassadors clean streets and alleys, remove graffiti, help visitors find their way, coordinate services for people in need and much more. The MID also employs off-duty police officers who help reduce crime in special emphasis areas.

Among the enhancements a renewed MID will bring are:

Additional MID Ambassadors for sidewalk and curb cleaning.

Additional off-duty SPD teams to focus on drug activity and other illegal behavior.

New retail recruitment program to help fill street-level storefront vacancies.

Mayor Mike McGinn joined staff from the Office of Economic Development and representatives from Seattle’s neighborhood business districts to announce the City’s $1.6 million investment in 17 neighborhood business districts across the city.

The investment was announced at Maya’s Mexican Restaurant in Rainier Valley. Neighborhood business leaders from Ballard, Beacon Hill, Capitol Hill, Chinatown/ID, Columbia City, Georgetown, Madison Valley, Pioneer Square, Rainier Beach, Rainier Valley, South Park, University District, and Wallingford spoke about the projects and exciting visions for their neighborhoods.

“Seattle’s neighborhoods are one of the reasons we attract talented people and growing companies,” said Mayor McGinn. “That’s why investing in our dynamic neighborhood business districts is critical to our overall economic vitality.”

A large portion of the funding went to neighborhoods that have developed comprehensive, multi-year strategies, in which the city is investing a total of $727,000 in 2013. Which breaks down as:

Beacon Hill $ 57,500

Capitol Hill / 12th Avenue $100,000

Chinatown / International District $168,500

Columbia City $ 65,000

MLK (Rainier Valley) $ 76,000

Pioneer Square $100,000

Rainier Beach $ 65,000

University District $ 95,000

“I’m excited that the city is investing in the three major business nodes of the Rainier Valley: Columbia City, Rainier Beach and Othello,” said Susan Davis, Executive Director of the Rainier Chamber of Commerce. “This funding will help ensure that we can bring business leaders together to maximize the potential of each of these major business areas.”

“Ballard is a great place to live, work, shop and play. As a result, we are bursting at the seams. The Only in Seattle grant allows us to assemble community stakeholders – from retailers and restaurants to industrial businesses, major employers and Ballard residents – and create a unified vision for commercial revitalization that makes sense for Ballard today and in the future,” said Scott Ingham, Co-President of the Ballard Chamber Board of Directors.

OIS is also investing $115,000 to support focused investments in additional neighborhoods, Focused investments will be made in these neighborhoods: Ballard, Georgetown, Madison Valley, and South Park.

This year, $450,000 was also granted to neighborhoods for capital improvement projects that enhance the commercial district experience. In 2013, those neighborhoods are:

University District

Pioneer Square

Chinatown/International District

Roosevelt

Pike/Pine Corridor – Downtown

“In the Chinatown/International District, we’re pleased to continue our façade program and clean and safe activities, and we’re especially excited that the Only in Seattle funding this year was expanded to include infrastructure projects,” said Joyce Pisnanont, IdeaSpace Manager at Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda). “For us, we’ll be able to continue our work on Maynard and Canton Alley, which are two alleys of major cultural significance to our neighborhood that have been priority projects for a long time.”
Other Program Highlights – The Only in Seattle funding will also include approximately $300,000 that will invest in the following programs.

The city will continue the Only in Seattlemarketing campaign in 16 neighborhoods, which highlights the hidden gems of shopping and dining in Seattle’s neighborhoods (Also on Twitter and Facebook).

The city also will invest to build strong business-focused organizational capacity to sustain the efforts of neighborhood business districts in Capitol Hill / 12th Avenue, Central Area, MLK (Rainier Valley), Georgetown, Roosevelt, Wallingford and White Center. Support for Business Improvement Areas (BIA) will occur in the following neighborhoods: Capitol Hill / 12th Avenue, Chinatown/International District, Madison Valley, Pioneer Square, and University District.

Support a façade improvement program in the Chinatown/International District to develop and improve three façades through the business community.

OED will fund and manage this program in partnership with Impact Capital, a Seattle-based community development financial institution serving underserved communities throughout Washington.

“The Only in Seattle program is a great complement to the city’s neighborhood planning efforts that have happened throughout the years,” said Council President Sally Clark. “These investments help the major players in neighborhood business districts execute concrete steps towards a common vision.”

The Office of Economic Development (OED)’s Only in Seattle Initiative (OIS) is a partnership with Impact Capital, which supports investments in neighborhood business districts, and focuses on the following strategies to create healthy business districts:

Business and retail development (supporting businesses, enhancing business mix);

Marketing and promotion (events, social media, district advertising);

Clean and safe (graffiti removal, dumpster free alleys, lighting);

Streetscape and appearance (catalytic development projects, façade, public art); and

Business organization development to sustain the effort, including participation of an existing Business Improvement Area (BIA) or commitment to form one.

More information can be found in the Press Release from the Mayor’s Office.

Now in its fourth year, the annual Holidays in Seattle campaign – geared toward helping promote downtown Seattle as an outstanding destination for holiday travel – offers an exciting assortment of holiday happenings from Pioneer Square to Seattle Center. The holiday season begins this November with seasonal favorites like the DSA Holiday Carousel presented by KING 5 benefitting Treehouse; Winterfest Ice Rink; Argosy Christmas Ship festival; and Macy’s Holiday Parade. A full list of events can be accessed here.

Photo credit: Christopher Nelson

For the first time, Holidays in Seattle is partnering with Seattle-based geocaching company GeoTeaming, to offer the Holiday Goosechase, a free holiday mobile-based scavenger hunt. The Holiday Goosechase is a fun new activity designed to get participants out and about in the city to take pictures related to the task on their smartphone, which they then submit for evidence. Images are automatically added to an activity feed for participants to keep track of the leader board. The hunt begins Nov. 23 and runs through Dec. 31 and includes multiple ways to win prizes throughout the week, such as two nights at Hotel Monaco or four passes to the Seattle Great Wheel, among others. Finally, a grand prize winner will be named at the end of the hunt. The GooseChase mobile app can be downloaded for free from Google Play or the iTunes App Store, using the search term “Holidays in Seattle” to join the game.

Holidays In Seattle was created to highlight the unique and enriching holiday experience of Seattle’s city center, from Seattle Center to Pioneer Square. The goal of the campaign is to enhance the economic impact of the 2012 holiday season by promoting the diversity and wealth of holiday attractions, events and promotions that make Seattle the premier holiday destination in the Northwest. Campaign organizers hope to expand the campaign in future years
to leverage greater seasonal growth in retail, restaurant, hotel, arts and entertainment and other Seattle business.

In a continued effort to encourage discovery and exploration of new neighborhoods and businesses in Seattle, Mayor Mike McGinn announced the addition of Pioneer Square to the 2012 Only in Seattle Campaign.

Pioneer Square is where Seattle got started. The city’s founders settled in the area in 1852, and after 160 years (and one Great Seattle Fire) it’s still one of Seattle’s classic neighborhoods. In Pioneer Square you can explore Seattle’s oldest history – the Seattle Underground, the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park – amidst some of Seattle’s liveliest bars and restaurants. Add in some of Seattle’s best architecture and quintessential businesses, and you have a neighborhood that’s still the can’t-miss heart of Seattle.

Only in Seattle Sundays returns!

After a successful inaugural launch in Fremont, Belltown will host the next Only in Seattle Sunday on Sunday, August 26 with discounts offered at neighborhood favorites, including all-day happy hour pricing at Spitfire, two-for-one bicycles rentals at Bicycle Pull Apart, and $1 house-made seasonal sangria from Black Bottle. Grab a bite to eat at the Old Spaghetti Factory with free Sicilian garlic cheese bread with the purchase of an entree, and enjoy 10% off in-stock items at Fancy, among other discounts throughout the neighborhood. Stay connected with Only in Seattle Facebook and Twitter for great giveaways leading up to the event!

In a continued effort to encourage discovery and exploration of new neighborhoods and businesses in Seattle, Mayor Mike McGinn announced both the addition of three new neighborhoods to be featured in the 2012 Only in Seattle Campaign, and the launch of Only in SeattleSundays – a special once-a-month neighborhood discount day.

“The locally-owned small businesses featured in Only in Seattle are great for visitors and locals alike,” said Mayor Mike McGinn. “Our diverse neighborhoods are economically and culturally strong in large part due to these thriving small, independent businesses. Only in Seattle is about more than supporting our local economy, it’s about celebrating what makes Seattle special.”

Now in the campaign’s third year, the City is not only adding 12 new businesses in Fremont, Pioneer Square, and Wallingford, but also taking the campaign one step further by introducing Only in SeattleSundays. The last Sunday of each month shoppers and diners will have the opportunity to take advantage of a customized set of discounts and freebies at local businesses and restaurants in neighborhoods across Seattle. Only in Seattle Sundays are designed in partnership with the neighborhood business districts to give people a great way to get out and discover what makes Seattle’s neighborhoods unique – and get some great deals while they’re at it.

Fremont will host the inaugural Only in SeattleSunday on Sunday July 29th with 14 business offering discounts throughout the neighborhood. Visitors can start their day with an Only in SeattleSundays brunch at Markettime Foods, spend some time shopping with 10% off at Only in Seattle featured businesses evo and Bitters Co. and finish off with “a buy one get one” free BBQ lunch at Pete’s Fremont Fire Pit, among other discounts throughout the neighborhood.

Following Fremont, locals can look forward to Only in SeattleSundays hosted in Belltown (August) and Wallingford (September), and other neighborhoods in the subsequent months.

To redeem and view the monthly Only in Seattle Sundays deals, shoppers can download or print the Only in SeattleSundays coupon available at www.onlyinseattle.org/ois_sundays . Additionally Seattleites are encouraged to follow Only in Seattle on Facebook and Twitter, where the City’s Office of Economic Development (OED) will be giving away prizes from select neighborhood businesses throughout the month.

The City promotes a healthy business environment for neighborhood business districts and organizations. The Only in Seattle marketing campaign is only one of numerous City-funded projects and activities that improve and strengthen local business districts under the broader Only in Seattle Initiative.

Annually, participating neighborhoods apply and are selected to be part of the Only in Seattle marketing campaign. Neighborhood business organizations interested in applying to participate in the 2013 Only in Seattle campaign should contact Theresa Barrearas at (206) 684-4505 or Theresa.barreras@seattle.gov.

In its most recent edition, Delta Sky Magazine highlights Seattle, featuring interviews with Gov. Christine Gregoire, Ben Gibbard, Howard Schultz, Melinda Gates, and more. Spotlighting various neighborhood districts within Seattle, the magazine offers a great inside look into the life of a Seattleite, popular tourist attractions, and our competitive industry sectors. Kiplinger has named Seattle one of the 10 best cities of the decade. With Seattle being home to some of the most influential companies—Microsoft, Costco, Amazon, Starbucks— and our regions knack for turning the impossible into possible, the city is at the cutting edge of innovation.

Jeff Marcell, president and CEO of enterpriseSeattle has commented “Seattle businesses aren’t simply leaders in their respective fields. They are game changers known for transforming their industries completely.” Starbucks is an example of this and is one of Seattle’s most iconic companies. Starting in 1971 as just a store in Pike Place Market selling coffee, tea, and spices, today it is internationally known with 17,000 retail stores in 55 countries.

With Seattle having an equal distance between Asia and Europe, Seattle businesses are at the epicenter of opportunity. Having nine-hour flight times to Tokyo and London and marine ports closer to Asia than any other major ports in the United States, Washington is the largest exporter per capita in the country. Not to mention one in every three jobs in Seattle is tied to international trade.

Seattle has a highly educated work force that is a large draw for business. More than half of all adults in Seattle have at least a bachelor’s degree (nearly twice the national average). The University of Washington is a magnet for higher learning, with campuses in Seattle, Tacoma, and Bothell. The University receives more federal funding than any other public university in the country. Nearly 75 percent of its graduates remain in state after graduation and the school is Washington’s third-largest employer in the state with an economic impact of $9.1 billion. More than 260 companies have come to life through its students and faculty or from UW research.

The Seattle area has been called the continent’s most influential high-tech sector after Silicon Valley, with the second highest concentration of computer programmers and engineers, and information technology that supports more than 100,000 jobs. Facebook, Intel, Oracle and Google all have offices here along with more than 150 interactive and gaming technology companies that are within a 30 mile radius. Both Rhapsody and Concur are Seattle region natives. However, Microsoft is the biggest contributor to the state’s economic growth, accounting for more than 32 percent of total employment gain. “Consumers are demanding that new technologies, whether devices are services, work together in a seamless way,” says Microsoft spokesperson Mark Murray. More than 650,000 companies partner with Microsoft to build applications on Microsoft platforms and to create solutions for business customers using Microsoft software.

With three of the eight scientists to crack the human genome code living in Seattle, the city has become one of the best places in the world to receive healthcare. Much of this would not have been possible without the founding of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and its contribution of over $26 billion in grant commitments since 1994.

HOW TO BE LAZY, PRODUCTIVE, AND SUCCESSFULGEEK WIREYou can be highly productive and very successful – but also lazy. The trick, of course, is to make better use of your time. Work smarter, not harder. If you occasionally feel out of control, are unable to focus or prioritize, lack the work/life balance you want, or notice that you’re often too tactical vs. strategic, these tips are for you. Use these eight best practices together to learn how to work smarter.

GREG SMITH’S BIG PLANSDAILY JOURNAL OF COMMERCESeattle development company Urban Visions is moving ahead on two mixed-use projects: a highrise named West Edge Tower at Second and Pike, and 200 Occidental in Pioneer Square. Of the two projects, Smith thinks it will be easier to get 200 Occidental started. The rich architectural character of Pioneer Square and its proximity to a regional mass transit hub are prized by tech and creative companies as a tool to recruit top talent.

SHARES OF ZILLOW JUMP AS REVENUE MORE THAN DOUBLESGEEK WIREShares of Zillow rose nearly three percent Wednesday after the Seattle online real estate company posted strong financial results for the fourth quarter and full year 2011. The company – which now describes itself as the “leading real estate information marketplace” – reported revenue of $19.9 million during the fourth quarter, an 108 percent increase over the same period of 2010. That marked the fifth consecutive quarter of more than 100 percent year-over-year top-line growth.

Pioneer Square is Seattle’s first and oldest neighborhood. It’s a thriving center of our city, with innovative businesses, popular restaurants, an active nightlife, and a home to many. Since December 2009, neighborhood business owners, residents and the City of Seattle have built a coalition to address some of the ongoing challenges facing Pioneer Square and come up with solutions. It’s called the Pioneer Square Commercial District Revitalization Project, and over the past two years, City and Community members have been working to promote the neighborhood’s competitiveness and strengthen the health of its businesses.

In June 2010 the committee finalized “Pioneer Square 2015: A Strategy for Seattle’s First Neighborhood,” a report on community and city strategies for bolstering the neighborhood’s economic health. These priorities include improving public safety experience and perception; supporting residential density and adaptive reuse of historic buildings; supporting infrastructure for economic growth; and building organizational capacity around business advocacy.

Yesterday, we met with the Pioneer Square Revitalization Committee and community members to report back on our progress so far and discuss ongoing challenges. We reported on recent accomplishments and projects launched in Pioneer Square:

North Lot Project: Introducing more market rate housing to Pioneer Square has been a priority in the community for decades. The long-planned North Lot redevelopment project will produce 513 units of housing, just in the first phase. Our Office of Economic Development (OED) is investing $1.7 million in equity and $7.2 million in low-cost debt financing via New Market Tax Credits to help move the project forward.

First Hill Streetcar: Access to high-capacity transit has long been a neighborhood priority as well. Recently the City confirmed that the new First Hill Streetcar will serve Pioneer Square with a stop at South Jackson and 2nd Avenue South. Construction begins later this year.

Only in Seattle funding: Only in Seattle is an initiative from OED that supports neighborhood business districts through grant funding, technical training and support for businesses and marketing. To support the Alliance for Pioneer Square’s efforts in retail recruitment, neighborhood marketing during viaduct replacement and Business Improvement District expansion, OED has awarded them a grant of $120,000. Over the past two years, OED has invested $220,000 in the Alliance for Pioneer Square to engage businesses, property owners and residents in strategies to improve safety, brand and market the neighborhood, and develop a business attraction plan.

King Street Station: The City acquired the station in 2008 and has been making continuous improvements to repair the original façade and remove the non-historic renovations. Three construction phases have been completed, including: station roof replacement and clock tower repair; Jackson Plaza rebuilt; and renovations to Amtrak’s new operations and administration areas. Next up is building and clock tower seismic retrofit, mechanical/electrical/plumbing systems distribution, and select interior and exterior restoration including the restoration of the ornamental plaster in the main waiting room. Construction began in March 2011 and will be completed in spring of 2013.

Broadband: Pioneer Square has an active and growing tech business community, and for those companies, access to very high-speed internet service is a must. We’ve been working to improve access to broadband internet service in Pioneer Square. Last May we launched a project to bring broadband to Pioneer Square by laying conduit underneath 1st Avenue South that internet service providers could use to serve nearby businesses. We recently learned that Comcast is in conversation with the owners of 14 buildings along 1st Avenue South in order to gain access to building tenants via the areaways. If successful, Comcast anticipates providing broadband service to 50 new customers.

Artist Space Assistance Program (ASAP): In response to the displacement of the artists from the 619 Western Building artist, the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs is working to provide relocation and placement services for artists and arts organizations seeking affordable studio, live/work, exhibition, performance and/or rehearsal space.

New businesses: Several new businesses have moved in to Pioneer Square recently, including EMC/Isilon, online retailer Blue Nile, game developer Zynga, and Jones Soda.

We also discussed some of the ongoing challenges facing Pioneer Square and what we can do together to address them:

Public Safety: Several recent incidents have focused attention on some of the longstanding public safety challenges in Pioneer Square. We’re taking several steps to protect public safety. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) has deployed four dedicated footbeat officers to Pioneer Square. These are augmented by regular car patrols and bike patrols. Patrol officers are also directed to stop and patrol problem areas on foot. ACT teams have recently targeted the area for buy-bust operations to address drug dealing problems. SPD has worked in concert with the City’s Human Services Department (HSD) and the Department of Transportation to address the encampment issues. Prior to any enforcement action, extensive outreach was done for those persons living on the street to find them alternatives to camping under the freeway, particularly along James and Cherry Streets.

Restorative Justice Pilot: City departments are working with Pioneer Square partners in exploring a program that would bring a special enforcement focus on individuals committing civility infractions. The Municipal Court’s Community Court program can connect individuals cited for low level civility infractions to the Seattle Human Services Department to provide services these individuals may need.

Restrooms: The City is working with a community committee on an analysis of using Fire Station HQ restrooms to provide public facilities. Parks has prepared updated cost estimates for an Occidental Park kiosk/restroom. Both will inform a City and community decision on how to proceed.

Special Events: We’re working with the community to develop ways to better manage tailgating and other community impacts from the sporting events at the stadiums. We’re also identifying efforts that are working now (such as port-a-potties on event days) to see if we can use that model at other times. We’re also looking at other successful models so we can maintain robust, safe, and civil public spaces.

Historic Pioneer Square is proving to have an ideal mix of available space, culture, and access to transportation and parking, providing a prime location for employees and businesses to work, grow and live.

The City of Seattle has been investing in the neighborhood. A key part of the area’s revitalization was bringing high-speed fiber-optics broadband service to Pioneer Square. Companies now have all the amenities they need to compete globally and to attract the top talent in the ultra-competitive jobs market.

Isilon founder Sujal Patel agrees: “Pioneer Square is a base of innovation and of startups within the community, it’s a vibrant area that’s undergoing a revitalization, and it’s an area with a lot of life and activity…Pioneer Square has an ideal mix of space availability, great neighborhood, accessibility with respect to transportation options…and it really formed the ideal base for us to plant a flag for many, many years to come.”

The area has had to manage some high-profile retail business losses. Iconic anchor tenant Elliott Bay Book Company left last year and the 80-year-old Masins Fine Furnishings furniture has put its building up for lease. Despite some of the recent losses, one flight up from the storefronts, the red-brick and cobblestone neighborhood is the thriving home to businesses with about 1,800 employees and $1 billion a year in combined revenue.

The recent influx of tech companies reflects the push on behalf of local business leaders, the City of Seattle and The Alliance for Pioneer Square to revitalize the area by shining a spotlight on its tech industry and unique neighborhood attributes in the hopes of drawing more attention and more tenants to the area. And this push isn’t just beneficial for tech companies but for all types of businesses.

Local business owner Bob Schoenfeld, owner of Schoenfeld Interiors, recently touted his business at 115 South Jackson St, and marketed the aesthetics of the neighborhood in his new television ad.

With all of these efforts combined to revitalize the Pioneer Square neighborhood, the area is primed and ready for new residential development. Kevin Daniels, president of property firm Nitze-Stagen, refers to the recent growth in Seattle’s oldest neighborhood as a “renaissance” of Pioneer Square. Daniels runs the recently launched North Lot Project, which will contribute more than 280,000 square feet of mixed-use space and 718 residential units upon completion — space that is needed in the neighborhood. The additional density helps make Pioneer Square ever-more vibrant and has been a critical part of planning efforts for Pioneer Square, including Pioneer Square 2015 and the 1998 Neighborhood Plan.